J.J. Foley’s Cafe in the South End calls on Patriots fans to pack bar for ‘Today’ show appearance on Friday
If you’re a Patriots fan looking for an early start to the AFC Championship game weekend, look no further than J.J. Foley’s Cafe.
The South End pub is inviting the New England faithful for a two-hour event on Friday morning, when the bar is expected to make an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
Festivities will begin at 7 a.m. and run until 9 a.m., the bar said, adding that fans should “expect jerseys, signs, chants, and a full-scale New England send-off” for the team heading to Denver for Sunday’s game against the Broncos.
“It really makes it so much better when the fans are so pumped up,” said Mike Foley, the bar’s marketing manager. “You can really feel the buzz and energy in the air.”
New England cheerleaders, Pat the Patriot, and “militia” re-enactors are expected to join the crowd, along with past Patriots alumni. Foley also hinted that other “members of the organization” would be in attendance.
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“We’re going to leave it at that for now,” said Foley, a fifth-generation descendant of the bar’s founder, Jeremiah Foley. ”You really have to be there. I wouldn’t miss it.”
NBC News, which runs the “Today” show, did not immediately return a request for comment.
The bar is also bringing in a ripple machine, Foley said, so fans will are able to print customized Patriots-themed messages on the foam of their Guinness.
Founded in 1909, Foley’s has been a staple of the South End for decades. Last year, Guinness reviewer Jason Hackett (known as Prime Mutton to his followers), declared the pub to be the home of the best pint in the United States.
Guinness is already the top-selling beer at the Irish pub. But during last weekend’s game against the Houston Texans, the bar sold roughly double the Guinness that they would on a typical game day, Foley said.
But don’t worry — those fans who may be reluctant to order a stout at 7 a.m. on a workday will still be able to order food from the kitchen. And there is always the non-alcoholic option of Guinness Zero — which, Foley added, can still be customized with an “I Love Drake Maye” message.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
